Hello, Paid a sparky come and move three lights upstairs, anyway, had to go in the loft to check something else and came across this (picture attached). Admittedly it was wrapped in green/yellow tape but I'm pretty sure, given even my lack of knowledge that this should be done via a junction box. Looks like he is a proper corner cutter, which is worrying as he installed a new consumer unit and did something other stuff for a sum of c.£500.
That is against all regulations. Are you sure he was an Electrician,I hope you have not paid him yet because you will have to get everything he has done tested and put right.
Thanks for confirming my worst fears. I'm think my cat could have done a better job. He was recommended by a neighbour and seemed most professional when he came over. Bloody cowboys. So, when I get someone to fix it, junction box or inline box is acceptable?
Many of us now use Wago boxes and connectors to join cables. Only cost a couple of quid so no real reason no to use them. If he installed a Consumer Unit then two bits of paper should be produced 1. An EIC (Electrical Installation Certificate) which he gives to you. 2. He must notify the LABC (Local Authority Building Control) that the work has be done. This is often called Part P notification.
He didn't give us either at the time of installation, as at the time we were intending to have some other work done and he said he would do it all in one go once the other work was done. Given his do as you likely taping job, he aint coming back now to do more. Should he just supply the EIC and LABC for work done... though I'm pretty sure it is not up to standard. Does this mean, getting another person in to check it etc?
No reason why he can't issue the certs for the CU change if that is complete. Just check that he is on the Electrical Competent Persons Register otherwise he cannot self-certify and notify the LABC.
We are not living there at the moment, and can't remember if there is a sticker on there. The chap is on the register, surprisingly.
That is good news. Ask him to send over the certificates for the work he has done and get him to confirm that he has notified the LABC. Do this in writing/email and photograph all his work. If you get no positive response you may need to contact his trade body to help resolve the issue.
This is what infuriates me about things like this. The jobs where by law you have to get a registered person to complete them then you look at the quality and you know you could/would have done better yourself. This guy is putting consumer units in and anyone who's ever done an ounce of DIY know's that job he's done in your attic is garbage.
It is all about money with the course and scam providers.We have the 5 day and 5 week wonders paying the cash and they are buying themselves onto the so called competent register and they are far from competent. The only people who should be on the register are time served jib gold card holders,who are actually Electricians, not course cowboys or career change chancers. It also goes to say that not all time served Electricians are perfectionists,there are some cowboys among them,but there is a lot less chance of getting an out and out cowboy with someone who has trained for years.
Its most annoying, he is on the register, came with recommendations and the only reason I caught on was because I noticed the wiring when doing something else in the attic. He has just done the wiring on a neighbours house, complete rewire! I'm going to have to say something, they have kids, but I guess he doesn't care.
That is the problem they go on these 5 day or 5 week wonder courses buy themselves into a scam scheme which puts them on the register and the public/householders suffer.
done 41yrs and told just now had to do a one day course with nine elements in it to get onto the job explained i new the trainer assesst him yrs ago told its a paperwork think they now i now but thats the way it is if you want the job do the course not in a nasty way so i said no thank you in a very nasty way as long as you can do it it will eventually stop we just need to do it
Where do we start with this sweeping statement. Firstly, the register in not a register of 'electricians' but a register of organisations who meet the criteria for entry to the scheme. Secondly, until this year there was no requirement for 'jib gold card holders' to have up to date qualifications. See my other post on the changes to ECS. Thirdy, to lump "course cowboys" with "career change chancers" is just an insult to those of us who have have worked very hard to change career. I do not have ECS Gold card as I neither need nor want one, as I have no desire to do site work. However, if I did require one it would easily obtained through mature entry but cost nearly £2000 to obtain one - now that is a scam! I am sick and tired of "time-served" being used to somehow to imply that that someone is skilled, knowledgeable, experienced, competent and most importantly abreast of current regulations and codes of practice. What this poster has experienced is 'poor workmanship' for all we know the spark learned to joint cables like this during some 'sitting- by-Nelly' apprenticeship 40 years ago. I am an experienced and qualified (Masters Degree) manager but don't criticise those tradesmen who after a short in-house course put on a suite and get promoted. Good on them.
Not that I'm advocating putting yourself in danger at all but are you brave enough to remove the cover from the consumer unit, I would love a look inside it. Note its highly dangerous to do this if you don't know what you are doing.
Always annoying when you have to do courses that are there to satisfy some requirement or imposed condition. I had to do a C&G in adult education(10 weeks of day release) to teach basic Excel to volunteers. A bit daft I thought as I was a qualified Microsoft Certified Trainer at the time. But the funder was the council and rules were rules. Just mad.
I'm fairly handy with DIY, engines etc but electrics, I tend to leave to the experts, or in this case people pretending to be experts. I would not know how to take it off, I'd imagine its not a job for the sledgehammer? Looking online, probably a few screws to take off, to reveal the wires?